To mark the centenary celebrations of Ford of Britain in 2011 the company has been delving into its photo archives and publishing a treasure trove of rarely seen images. This one caught our eye (for obvious reasons) but we thought it would be a good time to summarise some of our favourites revealed during the past few months.

Jodie Kidd meets the Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet

As the mixed summer weather continues, this week’s images remind us of warmer times. In 2006 temperatures in excess of 30C/86F were common as a heatwave engulfed Europe. In the UK, manufacturers were preparing for the British International Motor Show in London’s ExCeL Exhibition Centre.

Although several new models were on display it was this Ford exhibit that proved particularly popular. Carved from ice, this life-size Ford Focus Coupe Cabriolet provided a welcome distraction as UK temperatures reached a record 36.5C/97.7F. Chilled air kept the model from melting and provided a refreshing breeze for visitors. Even supermodel and TV presenter, Jodie Kidd, stopped by to chill out.

Some of our other favourites…

A quick thanks to John Nevill and the rest of the Ford PR team for digging out these historical treasures, you can’t fail to be transported back in time, especially if like me you remember some of the black and white scenes. Enjoy..